Bifolding shield for agricultural harvester

Abstract

A self-propelled harvester or combine is provided with a bifolding panel structure at the lateral side thereof on which a bin unloader tube is swingable from an outwardly extending unloading position to a transport position alongside the panel structure. When the unloader tube is in its transport position, the lower part of the panel structure can be pivoted about its pivot connection with the upper part of the panel structure between closed and open positions, but the unloading tube in its transport position prevents opening the upper part of the panel structure. When the unloader tube is raised, the upper part can be moved from its closed to its open position. A linear air spring or actuator biasingly maintains the lower part of the panel structure in whichever of its open and closed positions it is placed, and when the upper part is swung to its open position, it is maintained in that position by the linear actuator. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the linear actuator biasingly holds the upper part of the panel in its closed position when placed there.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In combination with a vehicle, a bifolding side panel structure with inboard and outboard sides, comprising: a first upright panel having its upper end pivotally connected to said vehicle for swinging movement in an outboard direction about a first generally horizontal axis between a downwardly extending closed position and an open position wherein the lower end of said first panel is disposed outwardly away from said vehicle,   a second upright panel having its upper end pivotally connected to said lower end of said first panel for relative swinging movement in one direction about a second generally horizontal axis between a closed position in which it extends downwardly from said first panel and an open position in angular relation to said first panel,   a resilient linear actuator,   pivot means pivotally connecting one end of said actuator to said vehicle at a first point spaced from said first axis, and   pivot means pivotally connecting the other end of said actuator to said second panel at a second pivot point spaced from said second pivot axis to produce a line of thrust passing near said first axis and on the outboard side of said second axis when said panels are in their closed positions whereby said second panel is biased by said actuator toward its closed position,   said second panel being manually swingable from its closed position to its open position wherein the pivot point between said second panel and said other end of said actuator is shifted to a position wherein the line of thrust of said actuator passes on the inboard side of said second axis whereby said second panel is biased toward its open position,   said first panel being movable from its closed position to its open position wherein said actuator biases said first panel toward its open position.   
     
     
       2. The bifolding panel structure of claim 1 and further comprising means releasably maintaining said first panel in its closed position. 
     
     
       3. The bifolding panel structure of claim 2 wherein said means releasably maintaining said first panel in its closed position includes a latch mechanism including first and second latch elements mounted on said vehicle and said first panel, respectively, one of said latch elements being movable between a latch position in which it latchingly engages said other latch element to maintain said first panel in its closed position and a release position in which it is released from said other latch element. 
     
     
       4. The bifolding panel structure of claim 3 and further comprising interlock means preventing movement of said movable latch element from its latch position to its release position when said first and second panels are in their closed positions and permitting movement of said movable latch element to its release position when said second panel is moved from its closed position. 
     
     
       5. The bifolding panel structure of claim 4 and further comprising manually releasable latch means interposed between said second panel and said vehicle for releasably maintaining said second panel in its closed position. 
     
     
       6. The bifolding panel structure of claim 1 wherein said resilient linear actuator is a compressed gas actuator. 
     
     
       7. The bifolding panel structure of claim 1 wherein the line of thrust of said actuator passes on the outboard side of said first axis when said first panel is in its closed position. 
     
     
       8. The bifolding panel structure of claim 7 and further comprising a latching mechanism spaced below said first axis for releasably securing said first panel to said vehicle in said closed position of said first panel. 
     
     
       9. The bifolding panel structure of claim 8 wherein said latch mechanism includes a pair of cooperable latch elements on said first panel and vehicle, respectively, one of said latch elements being movable relative to the other of said latch elements between a latch position in which said latch elements are latched to restrain said first panel when the latter is in its closed position and a release position permitting swinging of said first panel from its closed position toward its open position. 
     
     
       10. The bifolding panel structure of claim 9 and further comprising interlock means preventing movement of said one latch element from its latch position to its release position when said panels are in their closed positions and permitting said one latch element to be moved to its release position when said second panel is moved from its closed position. 
     
     
       11. The bifolding panel structure of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a self-propelled harvester including a grain bin and further comprising an unloading tube for unloading grain from said grain bin shiftable between a laterally outwardly extending unloading position and a longitudinally extending transport position alongside and on the outboard side of said panel structure in which it prevents movement of said first panel from its closed position to its open position and permits movement of said second panel from its closed position to its open position. 
     
     
       12. The bifolding panel structure of claim 11 wherein said harvester includes power transmitting belts and pulleys shielded by said panels when the latter are in their closed positions.